1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic musical apparatus which retrieves, from outside, musical tone control information for controlling the generating conditions of a musical tone signal such as tone color, effect and style (type of automatic accompaniment pattern) of a musical tone signal, and controls the generating conditions of musical tone signals in accordance with the retrieved musical tone control information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional electronic musical apparatuses of this type, which have an internal storage device for previously storing plural types of musical tone control information and a retrieval device for retrieving musical tone control information stored in an external storage device, are designed to selectively supply to a musical tone signal generator the musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device and external storage device, and to variously control the generating conditions of a musical tone signal. Usually, however, a musical tone signal generator of a high-grade electronic musical apparatus is prepared for a wide variety of musical tone control information, while that of a low-grade electronic musical apparatus is not prepared for a wide variety of musical tone control information but for only limited types of musical tone control information. As a result, when a low-grade electronic musical apparatus retrieves musical tone control information previously stored in a high-grade electronic musical apparatus or musical tone control information which has been generated in a high-grade electronic musical apparatus and stored in an external storage device in order to control the generating conditions of musical tone signals, there may be cases where some musical tone signals are not generated, or unexpected, odd musical tone signals are generated.
In order to prevent such cases, as described in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 8-87270, an electronic musical apparatus has been invented which stores, in a classified manner, plural types of musical tone control information applicable to the musical tone signal generator of the apparatus. When musical tone control information which is not applicable to the electronic musical apparatus is required, the apparatus selects one type of musical tone control information belonging to the same category from among the plural types of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device, supplies it to the musical tone signal generator, and controls the generating conditions of musical tone signals in accordance with the musical tone control information supplied. Such automatic substitution of musical tone control information prevents musical tone signals from failing to be generated and odd musical tone signals from being generated.
However, the above conventional apparatus described in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 8-87270 still poses an inconvenience that a user of the apparatus cannot realize automatic substitution of musical tone control information until musical tone signals whose generating conditions have been controlled in accordance with substituted musical tone control information are generated. The conventional apparatus also causes another inconvenience that when substituted musical tone control information is quite similar to the original musical tone control information, it is difficult for the user to tell whether the generated musical tone signal is based on musical tone control information supplied from outside or substituted musical tone control information. In such a case, even though the substitution of musical tone control information has brought about subtle change in the generated musical tone signal, the user may not be able to tell whether the subtle change is caused by the substitution of the musical tone control information.
The present invention was accomplished to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic musical apparatus which allows a user to know whether musical tone control information has been substituted, a method applicable to the apparatus, and a computer-readable program applicable to the apparatus.
In order to achieve the above-described object, a feature of the present invention lies in an electronic musical apparatus having a musical tone signal generator for generating a musical tone signal whose generating conditions are controlled in accordance with input musical tone control information, an internal storage device for storing plural types of musical tone control information for which the musical tone signal generator is prepared, and a display unit for displaying a name of musical tone control information stored outside for selective use by a user, the electronic musical apparatus comprising a display controller for automatically selecting, in accordance with predetermined conditions, one type of musical tone control information as substituted musical tone control information from among plural types of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device when musical tone control information which is stored outside and for which the musical tone signal generator is not prepared is intended to be input on the occasion of input of musical tone control information stored outside, and displaying on the display unit a name of the substitute musical tone control information in a manner which allows a user to recognize that the displayed musical tone control information is substituted, an information selector for selecting musical tone control information corresponding to the name displayed on the display unit, and an information provider for retrieving musical tone control information selected by the information selector from outside and providing the retrieved musical tone control information to the musical tone signal generator when the selected musical tone control information is not the substitute musical tone control information, and for providing the substitute musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device to the musical tone signal generator when musical tone control information selected by the information selector is the substitute musical tone control information.
For example, in this case, the apparatus may be configured such that the internal storage device stores plural types of musical tone control information under plural categories and the display controller includes a first selector for automatically selecting as substituted musical tone control information, from among plural types of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device, musical tone control information belonging to an identical category when among the musical tone control information stored outside, musical tone control information for which the musical tone signal generator is not prepared is intended to be input.
Also, the display controller may be configured to further include a second selector for automatically selecting as substituted musical tone control information, from among plural types of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device, a predetermined type of musical tone control information when among the musical tone control information stored outside, musical tone control information for which the musical tone signal generator is not prepared is intended to be input and the internal storage device does not store any musical tone control information belonging to an identical category with the intended musical tone control information.
In the invention configured as described above, furthermore, musical tone control information may be configured by controlling parameters for controlling generating conditions of a musical tone signal and identifying information (a name in some cases) representing the type of the controlling parameters (musical tone control information). The above-described selection of musical tone control information to be substituted may be made by comparing the identifying information of musical tone control information stored outside with that of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device. The identifying information may be also used for the display of a name of musical tone control information.
According to the feature, when the user retrieves musical tone control information stored outside, particularly, musical tone control information for which the musical tone signal generator is not prepared targeted for retrieval, selected as substituted musical tone control information is musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device and applicable to the musical tone signal generator. On the display unit, the name of the substituted musical tone control information is displayed in a manner which allows the user to recognize that the information has been substituted. Therefore, when the user tries to retrieve musical tone control information stored outside into the electronic musical apparatus, the user is allowed to easily distinguish between musical tone control information for which the musical tone signal generator is prepared and that for which the musical tone signal generator is not prepared, with the convenience of the use of the musical tone control information stored outside facilitated.
Another feature of the present invention lies in an electronic musical apparatus having a musical tone signal generator for generating a musical tone signal whose generating conditions are controlled in accordance with input musical tone control information, an internal storage device for storing plural types of musical tone control information for which the musical tone signal generator is prepared, and a display unit, the electronic musical apparatus comprising an information retriever for retrieving musical tone control information from outside and a substitute controller for automatically selecting, in accordance with predetermined conditions, one type of musical tone control information as substituted musical tone control information from among plural types of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device when the musical tone control information retrieved from outside is not applicable to the musical tone signal generator, providing the substituted information to the musical tone signal generator, and displaying on the display unit a name of the substitute musical tone control information in a manner which allows a user to recognize that the displayed musical tone control information is substituted.
For example, in this case, the apparatus may be configured such that the internal storage device stores plural types of musical tone control information under plural categories and the substitute controller includes a first selector for automatically selecting, as substituted musical tone control information, musical tone control information belonging to an identical category with the musical tone control information retrieved from outside from among plural types of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device and providing the substituted information to the musical tone signal generator, and a first display controller for displaying, on the display unit, a name of the substituted musical tone control information selected by the first selector in a first identification manner which allows a user to identify the name as substitute.
The substitute controller may be configured to further include a second selector for automatically selecting, as substituted musical tone control information, a predetermined type of musical tone control information from among plural types of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device when the musical tone control information retrieved from outside is not applicable to the musical tone signal generator and does not belong to any categories of plural types of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device, and providing the substituted information to the musical tone signal generator and a second display controller for displaying, on the display unit, a name of the substituted musical tone control information selected by the second selector in a second identification manner which allows a user to identify the displayed name as substitute and which is different from the first identification manner.
In this case as well, musical tone control information may be configured by controlling parameters for controlling generating conditions of a musical tone signal and identifying information (a name in some cases) representing the type of the controlling parameters (musical tone control information). The selection of musical tone control information to be substituted may be made by comparing the identifying information of musical tone control information stored outside with that of musical tone control information stored in the internal storage device. The identifying information may be also used for the display of a name of musical tone control information.
According to the feature, on the display unit there is displayed that a substitution has been made when musical tone control information for which the musical tone signal generator is not prepared is retrieved from outside by the information retriever, and the retrieved musical tone control information is substituted by musical tone control information for which the musical tone signal generator is prepared by the function of the substitute controller. Therefore, when the user tries to retrieve musical tone control information stored outside into the electronic musical apparatus, the user is allowed to easily know whether musical tone control information has been substituted, with the convenience of the use of musical tone control information outside facilitated.
Furthermore, another feature of the present invention also lies in a method and a computer readable program which are applied to an electronic musical apparatus having a musical tone signal generator, an internal storage device and a display unit similar to the above and implement functions as described above.